One year ago, Rise Up & Care challenged the renowned Brazilian filmmaker Kátia Lund (the co-director of News from a Private War and City of God) to make five feature films in one year that together reimagine Rio from the ground up. This festival is a celebration of the resulting stories, individuals, communities, organic leadership, local innovation, relationships, and films.

Directed by Lili Fialho and Kátia Lund and produced by Jabuti Films and Rise Up & Care.

"Reimagine Rio shows us a city that many have not seen. It's a tribute to Rio's communities, to the strength of its people and the power of human ingenuity. Five stunning documentaries in one year is a remarkable feat. And Kátia Lund is the one filmmaker who could pull this off. Bravo!" • Dr. Vinicius Navarro, media scholar at Emerson College, co-editor of New Documentaries in Latin America and co-author of Crafting Truth: Documentary Form and Meaning.

Reimagine Rio Festival film trailers with English titles and subtitles

Estação Net Rio Botafogo: one full week, each of 5 films a day, from August 11 to 17

Estação Net Ipanema: August 11-17, one film per day

Estação Net Gávea: August 11-17, one film per day

Estação Net Barra Point: August 11-17, one film per day

Cine Jóia Copacabana: one screening a day at 11am, from Aug. 11 to 17 + one screening a day at 17pm, from Aug. 18 to 24

Cine Santa, Santa Teresa: one screening a day at 16:30, from August 11 to 17

Point Cine, Guadelupe: 2 screenings a day at 14pm and 15pm, from August 11 to 17

Cine Manguinhos: Marathon of the 5 films on August 13

2. Premieres in the communities where the films were made. NOTE, THE SCREENING AT CAMPINHO SHOW OF AUGUST 10 MOVED TO 7.30 PM AUGUST 14 DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER!

3. This festival is unlike any other, taking the films to the people of Rio de Janeiro. Over 340 free screenings in 68 points throughout the communities of Rio de Janeiro and Baixa Flumenense! Click on map below for schedules and locations!

Film synopses:

“Bad & the Birdieman” – Badminton – Trailer:https://youtu.be/rs-Mny1TUcY: Sebastião’s two-decade quest is to use badminton, a sport he never played, to transform the kids in a humble favela in Rio de Janeiro. Kids loved the sport from the beginning, but were crushed in tournaments. Using love, sweat and the innovative training technique of samba dancing to teach badminton, Sebastião imagined and created a community of champions, family and dreams. The competitive yet tender relationships of young players and the qualifying of players for the 2016 Olympic Games reveal that even the most unlikely of dreams can become reality.

“Guti & the Theater of Dreams” – Campinho Show - Trailer: https://youtu.be/rTRrr-h_U1Y: Guti Fraga has dedicated 30 years to infuse arts, culture and professional theater training in the Rio favela of Vidigal. In a constant process of reinvention and innovation, Guti creates magic, purpose and joy for waves of young people. A surprise reunion performance that combines generations of his students provides an emotional and unforgettable homage to a crazy dreamer.

“Gira & the Circus of Life” – Crescer e Viver – Trailer: https://youtu.be/5hY4fZHgsYs: The Crescer e Viver Circus was born from the union of two childhood friends, Junior and Vinicius. They invaded territory and set up a social circus for all in the center of the city at Praça Onze, the birthplace of samba and carnival. The school teaches that the risk of the circus is the risk of life, and students explore their limits and passions in the acrobatics and performance. The climax is Gira’s performance, a display of graceful movement and exposing one’s spirit to others.

“Movie Motion Magic” – Cinema Nosso – Trailer: https://youtu.be/ufZ_RNHZRpo:Five filmmakers and one movie, inside another movie. How would one make films while being filmed? Which cinema would Uerlem, from the Santa Maria community, love and want to show to the world? Diogo lives in Queimados, a two-hour train trip to the city center of Rio, but poetry and film move his heart and body. There he finds others that, just like him, come from afar to live a reality in which they see themselves portrayed, recreating the films of daily life.

“Jongo Fever” – Jongo da Serrinha – Trailer: https://youtu.be/yw64uqumxfI: It is said that Jongo became pregnant in Angola, but was born in Brazil. Taking its first steps in the Paraíba coffee plantations, Jongo flourished and reached new heights at Serrinha of Rio. The rhythm and dance of Jongo was originally practiced only by white-haired people and faced an uncertain future in the face of discrimination and prejudice against Afro-Brazilian cultural practice. This important cultural patrimony was saved and nourished by the innovation, love and courage of the women of Serrinha such as the 95 year-old leader Tia Maria, Pretinho da Serrinha, Suelen, Deli, Luiza, Dyonne and Lazir.

Where did the idea come from for the Reimagine Rio Festival? We are personally inspired by the successful innovation of local leaders in marginalized communities of Rio de Janeiro. When we spent a day dancing samba and playing badminton with Sebastião and the kids at Miratus, we were deeply touched and our cynicism melted. This is real innovation! This is real inspiration! We were so happy! How can we share this powerful experience with others? The answer: with movies! Movies travel, inspire and reflect poetically the reality on the ground. Films are the best vehicle to feel and understand what Sebastião is doing, sense his creativity, his innovation, his joy and his love. We were so fortunate to encounter Katia, Lili, Luis, Gripa and their team of incredible filmmakers. We challenged them to make five powerful films in Rio in a single year to reimagine the city from the ground up! We are blown away with the final version of the films and we want to mobilize people during the Olympic Games so they can discover a new vision of Rio. This film series rejects the negative images in the news and common stereotypes about these maligned communities and exposes Rio from below, from the roots and the communities: the beautiful, innovative and generous Rio. • Kirk Bowman, co-founder of Rise Up & Care and Professor in the Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech.

What is the objective of the festival? Our intent is to shine a bright light through these powerful films and acknowledge the many individuals who don’t seek recognition, fame or fortune and who are making dramatic, positive contributions in their own communities. That is why we are so excited to share these crucial films at 350 free showings throughout the entire city of Rio de Janeiro. If we all rise up and care just a little bit more and work together we can make a difference for the better in the world, one community at a time. We celebrate the local leaders, volunteers, families and young people featured in these documentaries! We are grateful for their tireless and selfless work. Humanity and the world need to learn from their stories! • Jon Wilcox, co-founder of Rise Up & Care and co-founder and CEO of California Republic Bank.

Rise Up & Care is a non-profit and tax-exempt 501C3 with an innovative